Tag: Cooking

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I have two daughters, Munch and Bub. (Of course, these are not their real names. These are their nicknames, and the youngest has a series of nicknames as the youngest child often does. They have beautifully classic GQ-approved names that shall not appear here.) The Munch (derived from “The Munchkin”), the eldest, is a vegetarian. Well, except for bacon which is far too delicious to exclude. Bub is a carnivore of the most extreme type. Some time ago, we visited […]

The thing about plates is…they get full. It’s been a busy several months, but I am back to the blog thankfully.* 1999: I’m 23 years old and I live in Normal, Illinois. Well, sort of…it’s a long story. I am finishing a degree in English at school in Chicago, and I spend my weekends working at Bennigan’s (I didn’t mess up the apostrophe there, promise) downstate. Like I said, it’s a long story and, of course, it involves a boy […]

What started with an innocent trip to the seafood counter at Central Market is about to snowball into a full-fledged crab festival. I apologize in advance for all of the crab recipes if you aren’t a fan of crab, but I can only blog about what I actually make and when the crab looks good to me… well… This idea for a crab stock recipe comes – albeit indirectly – from my friend Jeremy who informed me upon reading my […]

The problem with growing up in the shadow of Chicago is that it ruined me for other cities for a very long time. No other city, I thought, could compare and I would never, ever love another city as much as Chicago. For the most part, this is still true. I am still very much a mean girl when it comes to other cities. I apologize in advance for calling your skyline “cute” or your food “quaint” or blessing your […]

“I read a lot of things. I mean, you never know where the big ideas could come from.” – Melanie Griffith as Tess McGill in Working Girl. Confession: I learned to cook filet mignon from Cosmopolitan. Yes, Cosmo. The magazine that brings us headlines like Tease Him and Please Him! and Meow!: Why Acting Just Like a Cat Will Get People to Come To You. I didn’t make these up, either. Yes, Cosmo can be (read: is totally) on the […]

You know what’s great about stuffed mushrooms? The possibilities are endless. Really. You can stuff a mushroom with just about anything. You can prepare stuffed mushrooms as an easy appetizer (stuff early, bake, and voila – gourmet!) or as a meal. This recipe produces a very hearty mushroom, so it’s more to a meal than an appetizer. The Ingredients: Portobello Mushrooms – As many as you like. The ingredients for this recipe will stuff 6 medium or 4 large mushrooms. […]

Say what you will about the Jersey Shore, I love it there. I’ve been spending parts of the summer at the shore since I was fresh out of Kindergarten. As a kid, my Jersey Shore days were simple: beach, boardwalk, and late night family time with aunts, uncles, and cousins (It probably wasn’t that late, but anything past dark for a kid who had to go to bed when the sun was still out at home is magic). For me, the […]

Want to get under my skin? Declare yourself a “Wine Snob”. Ugh, it bugs me just writing it. Wine Snob. What does that even mean anyway? I’ve rolled it around for a while and I have come to the following conclusions: You want me to know that you know a lot about wine. Why do you want me to know this? Should I be immediately impressed with your alleged knowledge of nose, finish, and tannins? Why don’t you just shut up and […]

“See kids? This? This is a tendon! It connects the muscle of the wing! This ligament connects the bones together…and when I pull it….see…the wing moves!” And that was my introduction to the chicken wing courtesy of Mr. Arnold Vogel, distinguished educator of 7th grade biology. Mr. Vogel – always clad in my mind in his signature white turtle neck (because it was 1989) – was quick with a sigh, THE king of the eye-roll, and brilliant in his explanations of […]

Jennifer Jo, whom I’ve known since Kindergarten, is obsessed with all things cozy: intimate spaces, fireplaces, red wine, a good blanket and someone with whom to share. French Onion is a cozy soup, so it’s only fitting that she requested this recipe. This soup takes time to make. It’s not something that you can or should rush. With that said, it’s the recipe to make when you are cooking for joy and relaxation. The Ingredients: 4 Large Onions – I […]